Income... maybe the best gift of all. If earning an income and protecting hard-earned money are a concern, fixed-income investments (bonds, preferred shares, convertible debentures, etc.) may be just the gift for you. Although interest rates are low, usually a bad omen for bond aficionados, good investments are still to be had in this asset class, says the investment advisory team of David Derwin and Joseph Alkana ... continue reading

Global equities, emerging markets, precious metals — they’re all flavours of the day that have taken on a sour note in the last few years. Many investors also may be sensing a bitter taste for balanced strategies. Investors may find no refuge from the storm of market volatility in GICs and bonds either, given the historically low interest rates.... continue reading

Like many things in life, successful investing involves recognizing patterns and acting accordingly to turn a profit. Value investors look for overlooked and underpriced companies that have sound financial numbers... continue reading

You may not have heard of rare-earth metals, but you're likely familiar with the technologies they make possible. Without them, your BlackBerry, iPhone, car, computer and just about any electronic gadget would not exist as they do today...continue reading

As consumers, we all invest in some way in commodities. Be it gold, oil or soybeans, these are all items we buy and often use daily. Yet when it comes to buying these tangible assets as part of our investment portfolios, we often only own commodities indirectly...continue reading

In the wild kingdom of investment, it seems derivatives are among the most fearsome of beasts. This species of finance, which includes credit default swaps and synthetic collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), is largely blamed for our Great Recession. But not all derivatives are necessarily risky and complex investments...continue reading